Middletown transcript., 1887-12-01
NYE AS A FOX.HUNTER.

In0 Joyous season IOI AoA-Hu uutluS
is again upon us, says Bill Nye, in the
New York World, and with the gen.
tie fall of the autumn leaf and the
sough of the scented breezes about the
gnarled and naked limbs of the wailing
trees, the huntsman comes with his
bark and his halloo and hurrah,
boys, the swift rush of the chase,
the thrilling scamer 'cross country,
the mad dash through the Long
Islanders pumpkin patch-also the
mad dash, dash, dash of the
farmer, low moan of the disabled and
frozen-toad hen as the whooping horse
men run her down !; the wild shrek of
the children, the low melancholy wall
of the frightened shoat as he fees away
to'the straw pile, the quick yet muff-
ed pluck of the frozen tomato and the
dull scrunch of the seed cucumber.
The hnntsman now takes the fan
nels of his fox, rubs his stiffened limbs
with gargling oil, ties 2 bunch Of fire
crackers to his tail and runs him around
the barn a few times to see if he is in
good order.
The foxhound is a cross of the blood
hound, the greyhound, the bulldog
and the chump. When you step on
his tail he is said to be in full cry.
The foxhound obtains from his ances-
tors on the bloodhound side of the
house his keen scent. which enables
him while in full cry 'cross country
to pause and hunt for chipmunks.
He also obtains from the bloodhound
branch of his family wild yearning to
start in an sc Uncle Tom - company,
and watch little Eva meander up the
fumes at two dollars per week. From
the greyhound he gets his most mirac.
ulous speed, which enables him to at.
tain rate of velocity SO great that he
is unable to pause during the excite.
ment of the chase, frequently running
so far during the day that it takes
him a week to get back, when, Of
course, all interest has died out. From
the bulldog the foxhound obtains his
great tenacity of purpose, his deep-seat.
ed convictions, his quick perceptions
his love of home and his clinging te
nature. From the chump the fox
hound gets his high intellectually and
that mental power which enables him
to distinguish almost at a glance the
salient points Of difference between, 8
two-year-old steer and two-dollal
bill.
The foxhound is about two feet il
height, and 120 of them would be con
sidered an ample number fol
a quiet little hunt. Some hunters
think this number inadequate
but unless the fox be unusual.
skittish and crawl under the barr
120 fox hounds ought to be enough
The trouble generally is that hunter
make too much noise, thus soaring th,
fox so that he tries to get away from
them. This necessitates hard riding
and great activity on the part Of th'
whippers-in. Frightening a TO,
almost always results in sending hin
out of the road and compelling horse
men to stop in order to take down ;
/ panel of fence every little while thai
they may follow the animals, and be
fore you get the fence put up again th'
owner is on the ground, and after 20,
have made change with him ant
mounted again the fox may be min,
miles away. Try by all means to keel
your fox in the roadl
1t makes great difference wha
kind of fox you use, however, I onc'
had fox on my Pumpkin Butte estates
| that lasted me three years, and neye